by Alan Baez
The English Poet, playwright, and power player Gemma Rogers returns with new music after releasing her debut album just last year.
Following up on her 2022 debut LP No Place Like Home, Gemma Rogers brings the same sweet and visually telling songwriting on The Great Escape. With only two new songs, accompanied by two remixes of last year's “Tailspin”, Rogers brings forth a short, yet deeply riveting listening experience that not only acts as a conceptual sequel to No Place Like Home but is a warm welcome to new listeners such as myself.
Straight from the jump, Rogers’s creative writing and fluidity with imagery are on full display with the title track. A little bit of surf rock, a little bit of an early alternative groove riddled in the chorus, “The Great Escape” is a whimsical and fun tune that paints the mental image of escaping to the sea while not succumbing to a corny sentiment.
“Ship of Fools” is the moment where the EP really shines. It's where Rogers's musicality meets her talent for writing metaphors. This is the moment where she perfectly encapsulates the spirit of searching for fulfillment; the need for something better, and the sense of positivity.
There's a bountiful energy present throughout the E.P. and despite its four-track run, Rogers demonstrates an open mind to intermix surf rock grooves with themes of escapism, utilizing the ocean and a ship as a clear concept. While No Place Like Home sees Rogers focus on finding the comfort of home in familiar territory, The Great Escape uses the same colorful rifts and chorus to search for something greater.
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